Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is a part of thoughtbot’s core values.
thoughtbot works to create a more diverse, equitable, inclusive, fulfilling, and safe environment for all people in our community. Our DEI council, with the support and engagement of thoughtbot leadership, leads a number of initiatives that impact how we interact with our clients, our community, and as a team. We are proud of the progress we have made so far and the dedication our team has to continuing to improve the world in all we do.
“I have had an experience where I felt like my opinions and background didn't matter. Since I joined thoughtbot, I've been feeling happier and I appreciate the opportunity to work at thoughtbot. Thank you to everyone who works into making sure people feel validated, trusted, and appreciated.
Developer
Our day to day
DEI supports our team and who we interact with
thoughtbot clients
When working with our clients, we set out to be true partners. That means being proactive about asking questions, making recommendations, and raising concerns. Although our primary focus is building great software, how we do that and the relationships we grow along the way are greatly impacted by DEI.
DEI best practices are another area we are happy to discuss, and through those honest conversations, we build mutual trust as a collective team.
thoughtbot community
At thoughtbot, not only do we invest in DEI internally, we also share how we're supporting this work with others. Whether that means speaking up about our values, promoting inclusive code review guidelines, publishing our salary bands, or acknowledging and reducing bias in our hiring process, we're committed to making an impact beyond the boundaries of our own workplace. We teach and learn with our community, all towards building an industry where everyone can feel safety, belonging, and inclusion.
thoughtbot team
The entire thoughtbot team, including executive leadership, strives to continuously identify challenges, raise awareness, facilitate action, and hold ourselves accountable to improving DEI at thoughtbot. Our commitment to this work is codified in our career paths and playbook. DEI initiatives must be a standard at agencies and tech companies. We are proud of the culture we’ve built and welcome those who are also passionate about DEI to join our team.
“It means so much to be able to show up to work as myself and know that I’m heard, trusted, and valued.
Designer
Safe, supportive spaces
Employee Resource Groups
At thoughtbot we have groups of employees connected by shared characteristics or life experiences. They join together so they can help amplify each others’ voices, provide a safe space to raise questions or experiment with ideas, or be a grounding presence during complicated interactions.
thoughtbot ERGs
- Rainbow Connection - A safe and friendly space offering support and resources for those who identify as members of the LGBTQIA+ community.
- Developing Countries - A space for those who are from or live in developing countries.
how we do it
Focused on continuous improvement
We live our value of continuous improvement by regularly reviewing our systems and processes to ensure an inclusive and equitable culture. We deploy engagement surveys, continually review and iterate our processes and systems to ensure they are equitable and inclusive and have ongoing conversations with the team. We’ve created a code of conduct and moderation policy on thoughtbot.social . We firmly believe that DEI initiatives are never done. It’s a continuous process, not something we can check off.
DEI Resources
A few of our own blogs & recommended resources.
DEI: Speaking Up About Our Values
As we encounter critiques of these principles, it is important to explain why we do what we do and why it sets us apart from toxic tech culture that still lives true today.
Moving Beyond, Not Getting Over, Imposter Syndrome
Let’s move away from individual responsibility, and towards collective and systemic accountability.
Working in my native language requires empathy
It’s exhausting to communicate all day in your non-native language, but we can practice kindness and understanding to relieve some of that mental load.
Making the Case for Practicing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at a Company Level
We invest in DEI because it’s the right thing to do.
“I realized at a young age that things I could not change about myself, my race and sex, would be things I would be judged by. I felt the weight of being the representative of all people who share these traits even though we are different people. I encountered these biases at school, work, and even walking down the street. It made part of me want to hide, avoid anyone seeing me. But there was a stronger side that can't help but fight/advocate for others. While I struggled, I decided to do whatever I could to make sure others would not have to struggle as I did. It's become such an important part of who I am that I decided wherever I work must value it as much as I do. This requirement has been met and superseded by thoughtbot. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is part of my job, not something I work for when I have time. It's built into my day and that means I'm not fighting alone, I'm working together with all my coworkers to advocate and uplift.
Developer